Comments on: You'll be sucked right in.http://www.metafilter.com/100878/Youll-be-sucked-right-in/
Comments on MetaFilter post You'll be sucked right in.Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:26:49 -0800Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:26:49 -0800en-ushttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss60You'll be sucked right in.http://www.metafilter.com/100878/Youll-be-sucked-right-in
On July 25th 1997, Davor Jordas and a group friends turned up at <a href="http://www.paraglidingearth.com/pgearth/index.php?site=10791">Raspadalica</a> to take part in the first ever Croation <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered_paragliding">powered paragliding</a> competition. The day was fine, with warm sunshine and scattered puffy clouds. The only sign of what was to come was a <a href="http://www.google.com/images?q=cumulo+nimbus">dark cloud</a> over the beautiful mountains of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Učka">Ucka</a>. But it was twenty miles away, and downwind, so the paragliders took to the air. To put it mildly, <a href="http://www.poweredparaglidingontario.com/weather/sucked_in.htm">that turned out to be a mistake.</a> <br /><br />Bonus link: the story of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Rankin">USAF pilot William Rankin</a>, who <a href="http://www.aero.com/publications/parachutes/9610/pc1096.htm">ejected in the middle of a thunderstorm</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0135482712/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/">survived to write a book about it.</a>post:www.metafilter.com,2011:site.100878Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:12:41 -0800unSanesupercellthunderstormcumulonimbusparachuteparaglidingcroatiasurvivalholyshitBy: Splungehttp://www.metafilter.com/100878/Youll-be-sucked-right-in#3539291
Amazing. Great read.comment:www.metafilter.com,2011:site.100878-3539291Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:26:49 -0800SplungeBy: Forktinehttp://www.metafilter.com/100878/Youll-be-sucked-right-in#3539304
Wow. He was lucky to have survived.comment:www.metafilter.com,2011:site.100878-3539304Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:35:15 -0800ForktineBy: KirkpatrickMachttp://www.metafilter.com/100878/Youll-be-sucked-right-in#3539335
A well told story and a very lucky man.
The excellent BBC documentary <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cloudspotting-DVD/dp/B004LBA7YI">Cloudspotting</a> contains (amongst many other things) the testimony and dramatisation of another paraglider's experience of being sucked into a cumulonimbus - worth watching.comment:www.metafilter.com,2011:site.100878-3539335Thu, 24 Feb 2011 06:07:56 -0800KirkpatrickMacBy: Laotichttp://www.metafilter.com/100878/Youll-be-sucked-right-in#3539348
I was so relieved it was not yet another Croationist paragliding rally.comment:www.metafilter.com,2011:site.100878-3539348Thu, 24 Feb 2011 06:18:02 -0800LaoticBy: dazed_onehttp://www.metafilter.com/100878/Youll-be-sucked-right-in#3539355
That was well written and extraordinarily harrowing. What a lucky guy.comment:www.metafilter.com,2011:site.100878-3539355Thu, 24 Feb 2011 06:25:00 -0800dazed_oneBy: mwhybarkhttp://www.metafilter.com/100878/Youll-be-sucked-right-in#3539873
"<a href="http://www.poweredparaglidingontario.com/weather/sucked_in.htm">that turned out to be a mistake</a>" is returning "curl_easy_perform failed: Empty reply from server"comment:www.metafilter.com,2011:site.100878-3539873Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:32:18 -0800mwhybarkBy: mwhybarkhttp://www.metafilter.com/100878/Youll-be-sucked-right-in#3539878
<a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:hP7hPS0ttzsJ:www.poweredparaglidingontario.com/weather/sucked_in.htm+http://www.poweredparaglidingontario.com/weather/sucked_in.htm&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a&source=www.google.com">google cache</a>.comment:www.metafilter.com,2011:site.100878-3539878Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:33:13 -0800mwhybarkBy: happyroachhttp://www.metafilter.com/100878/Youll-be-sucked-right-in#3540021
It wasn't just luck that he's alive; his skill and ability to remain calm in a terrifying situation made the difference between living and dying. There's a lesson for us there.comment:www.metafilter.com,2011:site.100878-3540021Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:26:03 -0800happyroachBy: victoriabhttp://www.metafilter.com/100878/Youll-be-sucked-right-in#3540440
Wow, great read.
I'm just imagining the guy, Branko Rabar, telling the story at the local pub. "Yeah, so we were having afternoon tea and this guy knocks on the door and says "please excuse me, I was flying with my paraglider and got sucked into by a the storm cloud, I am cold and in shock...". He'll get free drinks telling that story for at least a year.comment:www.metafilter.com,2011:site.100878-3540440Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:46:00 -0800victoriabBy: hathttp://www.metafilter.com/100878/Youll-be-sucked-right-in#3541343
This is crazy. Thanks for posting it.comment:www.metafilter.com,2011:site.100878-3541343Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:31:04 -0800hat